Punjab Approves Ban on Publishing Saroops by Private Firms

December 19, 2007

Author/Source: Khalsa Press

Chandigarh, Punjab (KP) – The Government of Punjab has finally approved the much awaited law of giving Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s publishing rights solely to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and its authorized publishers. The law, passed at a recent meeting of the Punjab State Cabinet held in Chandigarh this past week, prohibits any privatized organization or company to print or distribute saroops of Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

According to the passed ordinance, any publishers seeking to undertake the printing of Guru Granth Sahib Ji must receive permission from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC). The newly formed law titled “The Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ordinance of 2007” will be converted into an Act after being presented in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

Several cases of sacrilege of saroops of Guru Granth Sahib that appeared recently had left the Sikh Sangat living worldwide concerned about the publishing of the saroops. The SGPC had filed a complaint with the State Government of Punjab after considering appeals from Sikhs worldwide asking for a statewide ban on publication and distribution of Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s saroops.

A similar mandate was passed by the Akal Takhat Sahib, the highest temporal seat of the Sikh Nation, in 1998 by Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh giving sole rights of Guru Granth Sahib’s publication to the SGPC. But several private printers, indifferent to the SGPC, had continued publishing saroops as a business. Interestingly, Chattar Singh Jeewan Singh & Sons, the largest private publishers of Gurbani pothis and gutkas, have continued publication and distribution of saroops despite being summoned to Akal Takhat Sahib for violating the hukamnama passed in 1998.

Although the new ordinance provides some assurance that sacrilege of Gurbani saroops would stop in Punjab, situations in other states could remain out of the hands of the SGPC as neither it, nor the Shiromani Akali Dal (B) have control over the law. The Delhi Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DSGMC), a strong rival of the SGPC and SAD (B), which was recently caught exporting saroops of Guru Granth Sahib Ji locked in a sea container, has decided to continue publishing saroops for Gurbani parchaar.

Paramjit Sarna of DSGMC had quickly apologized after the news hit the limelight, and even offered to appear at the Akal Takhat Sahib, but held strong opposition towards the mandate granting supremacy to the SGPC over publication of Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s saroop. Paramjit Sarna held that the DSGMC would open up printing facilities abroad as well for the convenience of foreign based Sikh Sangat and to stop beadbi during transport by having saroops published where they are needed globally.

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